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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · face · toast · stick · fine · row · saw · bank

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. row — a line
  4. bank — for money
  5. saw — the tool
  6. face — part of the head
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. row — to paddle
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bank — for money
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. saw — the tool
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. fine — all right
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. toast — bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com